Over 10.000 corona tests in Spielberg

For Eurofins Genomics, the intensive phase of the Formula 1 Grands Prix in Spielberg began this week. The biotech company will carry out Covid-5 tests at the start of the World Cup on July 12th and 19th in Styria and opened the first two test stations on the ring area on Tuesday. 10.000 to 12.000 tests will be carried out around the two Formula 1 races. “Everyone who works on the ring – that’s a total of 3.000 people who move in the red zone – is only allowed to enter their work area with a negative Covid-19 certificate that is no older than four days. Local people are being tested at the ring area,” said Siegfried Schnabl, Managing Director of Eurofins Genomics Austria and Eastern Europe and responsible for Spielberg, in an interview with the press agency APA . From next Monday, capacity will be increased and 20 test stations will be in operation on the ring area. “We are represented by a total of around 50 people who routinely swab (take samples) from the entire Formula 1 and FIA entourage. Everyone has to be tested every five days,” said Schnabl. Transport to Munich twice a day The logistics concept stipulates that the samples are transported twice daily from the ring area to the laboratory in Ebersberg, 30 km east of Munich. Evaluations are carried out there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, resulting in a capacity of 25.000 tests per day. The results are available within 16 to 24 hours after taking the sample. The samples are taken using a swab from the nose. The tests are carried out in bunks by two employees in protective equipment (sterile cape, glasses, gloves), a medically trained swabber and an assistant who is responsible for scanning and managing the samples. “The people to be tested come to the stands, are recorded with a barcode, the barcode is assigned to the people and entered into the database system,” said Schnabl, describing the process. This is “confusion-proof and absolutely anonymized,” he emphasized. “We only have the barcode and the number and we don’t know who is behind it. We are the service providers, we work with the hygiene manager, he gets the information,” explained Schnabl. If a positive test were to occur, only the hygiene manager's office would be able to determine who the infected person was. This is responsible for ensuring compliance with the health concept approved by the government around the Red Bull Ring. Eurofins Genomics has won the tender from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for the two races in Spielberg and the following on July 19th at the Hungaroring near Budapest. The company, which specializes in DNA analysis, is also involved in advance. “We have the opportunity to test people in all countries. There is a recommendation from the FIA that people visit genomics laboratories for testing if possible. Many come from England, so they can carry out tests in the Eurofins laboratory on site,” said Schnabl. Schnabl is aware that the order is special. “It's prestigious, of course, but also very expensive. “It’s not that easy to line up 50 people in a very tight time frame.” After all, his team is on the road with Formula 1 for four weeks straight, so they were looking for staff. “We have a large pool of nurses and paramedics who have experience. And the event as such is helpful in getting more people to come forward,” said Schnabl.

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Over 10.000 corona tests in Spielberg

Due to the corona pandemic, Formula 1 is starting the World Cup season four months late and under strict hygiene regulations. Comprehensive testing is an essential part of this.

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